News in brief

UK car registrations fell in November, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders are expected to show this week. The fall follows a decline in October of 1.4 per cent over October 2002, and November's year-on-year figure is expected to be similar.

The reasons for the decline are unclear, but the rise in interest rates earlier this month may have been a factor.

The SMMT does, however, expect sales figures for the year to be up over last year. At the end of October they stood 0.32 per cent above 2002, with a total of 2,254,539 cars sold.

Farmers urged to claim pylon cash

A £20,000 national advertising campaign to persuade farmers to seek compensation from the National Grid and electricity distribution companies is to be launched this week.

It will be run by chartered surveyor Thomas & Thomas of Ipswich, who aim to specialise in claims against electricity companies. Compensation is available to those whose land has high voltage or local distribution pylons on it.

The company estimates there could be 1,000 claims on the National Grid and more than 10,000 on local distributors. Claims could average £40,000-50,000.

Banker takes Merrill to court

Merrill Lynch is being sued by its former European head of private banking, who has left the investment bank less than a year after being appointed. Stephanie Villalba, 41, filed a claim last week at the High Court. Both her lawyer and the firm refused to comment and neither would confirm if she is alleging unfair dismissal.

Villalba, a London-based American, parted company with Merrill in July. She had worked for the bank for more than 15 years before being promoted to run its private banking operation in August last year.

Forgan heads Scott Trust

Liz Forgan is new chairman of the Scott Trust, which owns the Guardian, The Observer and the Guardian Media Group of companies. Her appointment, succeeding Hugo Young, who died in September, continues the practice of making a journalist with Guardian links head of the trust.

Forgan was a trailblazing Guardian women's editor before joining Channel 4, where she was director of programmes, and the BBC as head of radio, where she launched Radio 5 Live. She has been a non-executive member of the GMG board since 1998 and was a Scott trustee from 1988 to 1993.

For 67 years, the trust has had the duty of protecting its core papers' independence and ensuring they are run 'in the spirit as heretofore'. Forgan described the trust as a 'unique constitutional settlement'.